Looking at Roger furious face, Du Hang couldn't help but feel a strange sense of delight. The Pirate King Gol D. Roger! Alive! Standing right in front of him! And not just any Roger, but the young, pre-voyage version. The best part? He had just tricked him.
...Okay, maybe scratch that last part.
Instead of addressing Roger's complaint, Du Hang picked up a wine jug, poured out a cup, and handed it over. "Name's Du Hang. Thanks for the help earlier, man."
"I'm Roger! Gol D. Roger!" Roger took the wine without hesitation and downed it in one gulp. This wasn't some fruity beer or cider—it was strong liquor meant for sailors. Even Du Hang had to sip it carefully, yet Roger drank it like water.
"Don't try to change the subject! Du... Du Hang, was it? What kind of name is that? Anyway, you ditched me back there! You said we'd 'fight together'!"
Roger's eyes narrowed dangerously. He might be a bold and cheerful guy, but he wasn't an idiot. Getting thrown under the bus like that—of course he was pissed.
Under Roger's intense stare, Du Hang took a slow sip and lifted his head with a dead-serious face. "See, there's a reason for that."
"A reason?"
"Yup." Du Hang nodded. "I'm just a low-level sailor on a merchant ship. Normally I just do bookkeeping and inventory—not really a fighter. A few days ago, our ship got attacked by pirates. After a lot of trouble, I barely made it to this island. I was just getting settled when the Navy mistook me for a thief and started chasing me."
He put on a frustrated and aggrieved expression. "You know how the Navy is—not exactly full of saints. With my build? If I got arrested, a few rounds of interrogation and I'd be dead meat. So you didn't just get into a brawl earlier—you saved an innocent life, Roger."
"Huh… is that so." Roger wore a look that said, "I'm not sure I followed everything, but it sounds kinda important."
"Yes! Roger, you're a hero. Come on, let me treat you to another drink, my way of saying thanks!" Du Hang said with a big grin.
"Alright! Then let's not stop till we're drunk!" The mention of drinking immediately brought Roger back to full excitement—simple-minded as ever.
Three rounds of wine and five dishes later, Du Hang was just about to speak again when he suddenly paused.
"Du Hang? What's up?" Roger noticed something off.
Du Hang stared blankly at the air in front of him. A few seconds passed before he clasped his hands to Roger. "Sorry, Roger, I just remembered something urgent. Gotta run. Enjoy the rest—next time we'll drink again!"
"That serious? Need help?" Roger, a few drinks in, was warming up to Du Hang and offered sincerely.
For some reason, Du Hang looked genuinely moved for a moment. After a few seconds, he smiled and shook his head. "Nah, I'm good."
He tossed a few bills on the counter and hurried out the restaurant.
Watching Du Hang's departing figure, Roger scratched his head in confusion. "That guy's impossible to figure out."
Just then, a squad of Navy men in white uniforms suddenly burst into the restaurant.
Amid the startled cries of the patrons, the Navy officer at the lead scanned the room. His eyes lit up when he spotted Roger, and he instantly swung his arm forward.
"That's him! Arrest him! Bring him to the branch office!"
Roger: "…"
As the Navy surrounded him, Roger felt a wave of exhaustion wash over him.
Thinking back to Du Hang's sudden departure, Roger looked up at the ceiling, eyes glistening with frustration.
Anyone who dared say Du Hang's exit had nothing to do with this Navy ambush—Roger would punch them in the face.
In a nearby alley, Du Hang clicked his tongue, watching the Navy haul Roger out of the restaurant.
"A beautiful summer afternoon… and watching the future Pirate King get carted off by the Navy? Now that's entertainment."
Putting Roger aside, Du Hang was confident he'd be fine for now. Roger definitely wouldn't rat him out—he was like Luffy in that way. The kind to settle scores personally, not pass the blame to others.
Following the directions Roger had mentioned, Du Hang tucked the sea prism stone tightly into his pocket and arrived at the blacksmith shop owned by Old Hank.
"Buying something?" An old man stoking a forge at the door glanced up lazily.
"I've got some materials I'd like Old Hank to work on."
"Heh… 'work on materials,' sounds so professional. What'd you bring?" The old man chuckled and sized him up casually.
Du Hang stepped inside with a calm smile, pulling a small wrapped bundle from his pocket. He opened it gently.
Old Hank's eyebrows arched high.
"Sea prism stone… not ordinary stuff, either—this is refined. Heh… kid, a few Navy guys were just here. Know what they told me?"
"I'm all ears."
Still smiling, Du Hang remained composed. He'd already anticipated this. The Navy had likely notified every craftsman in Loguetown capable of working sea prism stone, and a blacksmith shop was definitely on that list. He'd circled the area a few times to make sure there were no Navy around, and he was ready to enter his "selfless state" at a moment's notice.
"They told me… if anyone comes in with a piece of sea prism stone this size, I should report it immediately. Yours fits the bill perfectly." The old man imitated the Navy's tone, making a rough size gesture.
"And what do you plan to do?"
"My plan?" The old man sneered through his nose. "I don't care about all that. A customer brings me work, I do the work. It's that simple. So—what do you want made from this, kid?"
Du Hang laughed and held up two fingers. "A small knife… and with the leftover, a smoking pipe."